Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch is one of the most amazing and moist cakes you’ll ever have!
A secret ingredient brings out the chocolatey goodness in the cake while adding a rich layer of homemade pudding keeps it extra moist! It’s all topped off with a simple one minute chocolate frosting!
A Tip For Enhanced Chocolate Flavor
This is one of the most amazing chocolate cakes of all time! My son calls this his favorite cake hands down!
Making a chocolate poke cake from scratch is easier than you think and it’s so worth the extra time!
If you love a great chocolatey flavor, I have a little secret to share with you! Adding just a little bit of coffee to the batter brings out the rich chocolate flavor (but don’t worry, you don’t taste a coffee flavor). This even works in place of water if you’re making a boxed mix!
Originally I made this cake for my son’s 18th birthday…but of course when you have a house full of teenage boys and a chocolate cake, getting photos is kind of challenging. *Sigh* … so I had to make the cake AGAIN, oh the hardships, more chocolate cake! And it was just as amazing!
Pourable Poke Cake Topping
The cake itself is decadent and moist with an amazing rich chocolate flavor…even without the pudding on top, it is excellent!!
The homemade pudding is super easy and quick and takes this cake to the next level! The whole thing is topped with my absolute favorite one minute easy chocolate frosting. This “poured frosting” is quick to make and requires not spreading, just pour over the cake and tilt to spread!
Items you’ll need for this recipe:
- 9 x 13 pan
- chocolate chips
- cocoa powder
After trying this Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch, you may never want to use a boxed recipe again!
Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brewed coffee cooled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ¼ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
Frosting
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease & flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- Combine milk & lemon juice and set aside. (The mixture will thicken slightly)
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & baking powder in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, coffee, soured milk, oil and vanilla. Beat medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans. (Your batter may seem runny at this point but it will bake up beautifully.)
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Be sure to check the cake at 30 minutes so it doesn't over cook.
Chocolate Pudding
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt, mix well. Add in cold milk, stir until combined.
- Turn heat to medium high stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
- Allow to boil for 1 minute while stirring, remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Poke the cake all over with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour warm pudding over warm cake. Tap the pan allowing the pudding to seep into the cake.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (Frost after slightly cooled, about 30 minutes)
Poured Frosting
- In a saucepan, combine milk, butter, & sugar over medium high heat.
- Bring to a rolling boil and allow to boil 45 seconds.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
- Whisk until smooth and shiny and immediately pour over the cake. Refrigerate until set.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Cake adapted from allrecipes.com
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Dear Holly, I have made a number of your recipes over the last few years, since I retired, but your Chocolate Poke Cake from Scratch is by far one of the BEST deserts I have ever had. Everyone really enjoyed it. Thanks so very much for your efforts.
Thanks, John! So happy to hear you are enjoying them.
Can buttermilk be used instead of soured milk?
Hi Meredith, buttermilk should work well for this recipe.
This cake turned out beautifully. Moist and airy. The pudding is wonderful and I think it made the cake. The poured frosting brought in the sweetness. I made it with my granddaughter and she decorated it for her Daddy with the American flag.
That is so sweet of her, Maurita! I bet he loved it!
My pudding came out lumpy! What did I do wrong?
Oh no, that is not good Alici! I am not sure exactly what happened but you will want to make sure you are combining cold milk with the ingredients in the pot and stir constantly while coming to a boil to prevent lumps. Hope that helps!
Made the Chocolate Poke Cake and took it to work, it was amazing. Followed the recipe all the way through. Everyone was wanting the recipe. Will definitely make again.. My granddaughter is a chocoholic and wanted to know where hers was . You can’t say know to a choc. Cake, that’s not asking much. Wish I had posted a picture.
We aren’t coffee drinkers so don’t have any coffee around can I substitute it with something else? Will it still taste good?
Thanks
You can use milk or water in place of coffee.
My fiancé accidentally got milk chocolate chips. Can I use this for the frosting and just decrease the sugar?
I’ve only tried the recipe as written Linda. Reducing the sugar may change the texture. Let us know if you try it!
The pudding did not sink into the holes.
Chocolate pie cake is amazing!! 5 star.
But doesn’t say if cake needs to be kept refrigerated?
If not enjoying right away I would keep it refrigerated so that it lasts longer. Hope that helps Kandy!
I have used several of your recipes and have to say that my family now DEMANDS the chocolate poke cake! They absolutely LOVE IT!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
That is the best Roseanne! I am glad to hear they enjoy it so much!
I have made this cake twice now and both times everyone has RAVED about it. It’s worth the work! Thanks so much for sharing. It is truly AMAZING!
Love poke cakes
Hi. I want to make this for my daughter and take it to college this weekend. The first part of the recipe calls or soured milk. Is that correct??
This is correct. The milk is soured with lemon juice in step 1.
Hi,
is there a substitute I can use for cornstarch?
The pudding should thicken up nicely with other types of thickeners. I have only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure what quantities.
Do you put the pudding on the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven? And do you let it cool down a bit before put it in the refrigerator? I bake the cake in a 9×13 stoneware from Pampered Chef. I’m just concerned about it breaking, if I put it in the refrigerator to soon.
Hi Tammy, we pour the warm pudding over a warm cake. So let it cool slightly before pouring the chocolate pudding over top, and place in the refrigerator when you are comfortable!
has anyone tried this using gluten-free flour? If yes, any tips? suggestions? King Arthur is my go to for gluten free flour.
Sorry Yogi, we have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour but would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Now I need CHOCOLATE!!!
Excellent recipe! Thank you.
The cake part is very similar to Ina Garten’s recipe, but lacking the salt. I definitely noticed that it needed that one thing to take it over the top.
I made this cake for a family Christmas Party and everyone loved it! I didn’t make the chocolate frosting I made peanutbutter frosting instead and because some other reviews said it was too sweet I only used half the sugar in the pudding layer and it was perfect! The flavor in the cake is amazing, I’ve never had chocolate cake that had that much flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper!